Comic Book Review - Star Wars: Darth Vader #20

Rob reviews Star Wars: Darth Vader #20...

The Crimson Dawn crime syndicate have been a major thorn in the Empire's side for quite a while. From orchestrating the "kidnapping" of Han Solo's carbonite prison, they've been a major player within the wider galactic workings. Not content with fighting a three-way war, Vader has decided to rid the universe of the Crimson Dawn threat. Soon realising that syndicate has also managed to infiltrate all echelons of the Imperial regime, Vader vows to remove the rot from the inside.

With no one safe from the rampaging Sith Lord, little does Vader know that a face from his past as Anakin Skywalker is about to make her presence known...

Since 'War of the Bounty Hunters', this particular story arc has gone a bit crazy. Whereas the other comics within the main Star Wars continuity have gone their separate ways, Darth Vader continues to thrive on using the Crimson Dawn as its centrepiece. While it could be seen as re-treading old ground, come the conclusion of Darth Vader #20 things start to pick up. 

As seen at the end of the previous issue, Sabe the former handmaiden to Queen Amidala has arrived back on the scene. Her investigation into who caused the death of Padme has led her straight to Vader. However, since their last encounter, the former handmaiden has seemingly joined the ranks of the Crimson Dawn, which she uses to trick the Sith into believing that the list he holds contains Dawn's agents within the Empire. 

What then follows is a pretty brutal clearing of the house as Vader heads back to Courscant. We then see a lot of scenes that go back to the earlier issues as Vader obliterates those on his "hit list". This mayhem is further enhanced by its location - the Imperial Throne Room. Palpatine is also in attendance, although he doesn't join in on Vader's extermination, he does give his twisted wisdom as Vader once again proves where his loyalties lie. 

The Crimson Reign arc has been a very interesting follow-up to the events started in War of the Bounty Hunters. Throughout we've seen Vader gear up for a war that he could necessarily lose. His recruitment of a gang of hardened criminals and killers show how much of a threat the criminal organisation is to the Empire. More so that he's trusting a group of hired guns over the military might of the Empire, also shows just how far into the regime that the "Dawn" has infiltrated. 

Raffaele Ienco and Alex Sinclair bring a different style to the presentation for issue #20. There are a lot of varied locations throughout that Ienco and Sinclair bring to life. The scenes set at Polis Massa are particularly haunting with Sinclair bathing everything in a cool blue tone. Whilst this quickly shifts to a more warm style as perspective changes to the Outer Rim. Ienco also does a superb job in capturing Vader's rage. It can't be an easy job to show emotions in someone who essentially doesn't have a face, yet Ienco manages to make Vader feel both powerful and weak when needs are. The opening image of Vader entering the throne room is a gorgeous scene that certainly highlights the Sith Lord's classic modus operandi of choke first and asking questions later. 

Star Wars: Darth Vader #20 is ultimately a showcase of what it means to cross the Empire. Whereas the Crimson Dawn has been playing a dangerous game in crossing the regime, Sabe's manipulation of Vader has certainly set things in motion. Whatever the ultimate plan for both sides is, is still unclear. Even though this story is set between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, we've still got a long way to go to get to that climactic battle. So with Crimson Dawn not being present within the Original Trilogy. What happens in between? 

Well, for now, we'll have to wait and see. 

Rating - 7/10 

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